The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-07-28
A WAR STORY'S SEQUEL.
THE TALE OF a BRAVE YOUNG OF
FICEK AND HOW HE ESCAPED.

FICEK AND HOW HE ESCAPED.
General Bragg Orders Him to be Shot BE
cause He Is Too Sick to Work--Umninch
ingly He Gazes Into tho DIuskots and Is
Saved by Lieutenant.
The Americus, Ga, Recorder publish.
os story illustrative of General Bragg'f
cruelty. The scene of this cruelty was
Cornith, Miss, and the time during the
retreat from Shiloh. Bragg was person
ally superintending the loading cf the
cars. He had great burly fellow
cursing tho mon and intiting them to
greater activity. a young soldier not
ovcr 20, tall and handsome, though pale
and delicate, passed up the PLATFORM
looking for the cars in which the sick
were to be transported. He was evident
ly i'll. Tho burly fellow hailed him,
ordered him to fall in and help heave
the goods into the cars. The soldier re-
piled that he was too ill to work; had he
been able he would have been with his
regiment. The big fellow called the
generals attention to this insuboyrlina-
tion, and General Bragg ordered the
young man to go to work. lie repeated
the answer he had given the man in
charge OF the squad.
The generals eye seemed to hasli fire
as he exclaimed:
"What! You dare to disoEey my
.ordWs?"
.. do, calmly replied the young man.
me general called lieutenant of a
= nslana company of regulars doing
rd duty, and said:
FIake SIX OF your company and carry
tE1s man to that grove and shoot him. "
The lieutenant called his men, but be-
fore going to the grove General Bragg
took him aside and talked for amolucnt
The recalciGrant soldier was then taken
to tho grove and placed upon stool
with MS back to o tree. He refused to
be bh ndfolded, but took off his watch,
chain aud ring, wrote u name on piece
of paper an handed it all to the Iicuten-
ant, asking that the jewelry be sent to
the ad dress given"
Nov / am ready" lie said
The mnskets were leveled. The young
man looked at their muzzles as calmly as
though he was being photographed.
After II moment the lieutenant ordered
"Reco7or arms" EIe rushed upon the
young soldier, complimented him upon
his bravery, returned his jewehy, and
ordered him to go.
"Wherc is the boy?" General Bragg
asked Of the lieutenant few minutes
later.
"Gone," was the reply, and F'n ''"'.'
OF the young mans GChav
The general had search /
saying; "I'll promote him. -.
was not found.
And there the Recorder story camo to
nIE end. 1t leaves one i'll as unsatisiac-
tony state as one Of Frank Stockton's s
.stonea3 What became of the soldier?
Did 4e die in hospital? Did he live to
become food for powder?
a PoRt-Dispatch reporter discovered
Shc sequel this morning; heard the Incl
ent and its conclusion from the brave
'oung soldiers own lips.
YES" admitted DIR. Charles Garcia,
Il was the young soldier" He was sit
ting in his Office ut 1921 Chouteau ave
nue., resting after an all-night battle with
an obstrepcrous patient. 81 closed the
book of the war years ago. It contains
sao much that is unpleasant and bitter
shat L have seldom cared to open it.
siAnetimes when / read "reminiscences in
in the papers 1 grow interested in them.
L read the Recorder story. 1t is quite
correct as to the features Of the Incl
dent"
"Won't you tell the story again?"
was member Of the Beauregard
Rifles of the Crescent Regiment from
Now Orleans. After Shiloh the Confed-
crate army retreated to Cornith, and be-
ing attacked there made a demonstra-
tion, under the cover Of which the re-
treat was made to Tupelo. At Cornith
4 was taken i'll with camp fever [ could
not find surgeon, for everything was
In confusion, and so ] went to the train,
where l expected to find surgeon and
yet transportation. l felt that L was not
able to walk to Tupelo with my regi-
mont. [ was stopped rs described and
taken to the woods to be shot"
"Wlmt were your sensations while
waiting for the command of 'Fire?"
"I cannot hardly tell. A man who
has been III danger before will on such
an OCCASION resign himself to lis fate. A
numbness cones over him and he does
not much care if his last moment comes
then. [ had been in dangerous places
OelCIS- l. llttu DGelL Ill OulIOl hlll OIilCI
actions. | resigned myself.
"Did you doubt you had been taken
out to be shot?"
81 had not the least doubt in the
world that [ was standing there to be
killed. AS the muskcts looked Gt me
<ook what thought was my last breath
When tho lieutenant ordered tho men tC
recover arms could not understand
why vas not dead. AS soon as L was
liberated T. went away quickly. Yht
outrage to w:hich had been subjected
and probably The fear caused by my
danger had entll ely cured nae OF the
fever. L felt strong and well, and, re
Joining my company, marched all the
way to Tupelo without 8 recurrence O.
the fever"
"Did you over afterward eco Genera
Bragg"
81 saw him at Tupolo. The I7eaure
gard Rifles, bearing tho name o. thC
great general, and coming from lii
home, were detailed to guard his head.
quarters. I was on guard there one
night, and at the usual time for relief waE
| forgotten. remained there until morn